Cut to January 2021
We are in the middle of a global pandemic. I am cooped up in my home in Kolkata, and locked in a battled with my reason over whether at all I should make a public admission of the first-list gaffe I had made during my SSC admission nearly a decade ago. If I do not make a mention of it here, though, would you be able to grasp the enormity of my gratitude for the staff at SSC’s Department of English and the institution’s higher authorities who took a chance on me, put me on the stand-by list, and let me complete my enrollment in the second round of admissions? Or, would you believe me if I told you that act of generosity would become a turning point in my life, for it was the first of the many opportunities that SSC gave me, all of them foundational in the evolution of my understanding of myself and the concepts of success and failure?
The impact the majority of the teaching and non-teaching staff at SSC and my batch-mates, seniors, and juniors have had on my life in the decade since I was accepted into the institution extends beyond what my professional achievements* may be testament to. I, therefore, write this account as a mere affirmation of a truth my time at SSC helped bring home to me: at times, serendipity does make us arrive at junctures where places and projects choose us instead of us choosing them.
Annesha Ghosh
Batch 2014
Shri Shikshayatan College
College—The most important phase of my life
“College”, the very thought of which frightened me as a young 18-years old, fresh out of high school. I still remember the very first day of my life in college. It was 7:30 in the morning, sometime in mid-July. It was raining incessantly. Like many others, I stepped into college feeling nervous. Soon after, a teacher entered and with a broad smile said, “Welcome to Calcutta University.” A shiver ran down my spine. It was all so overwhelming. Little did I know that the next three years would be one of the most important phases of my life.
In my three years in college, I have learned a lot about life. It has helped me become a more responsible, sensitive and rational individual. I have made friends for life and met some wonderful human beings who shall forever hold a very special place in my heart. Academics is definitely a very important part of college. However, the most important lessons that I have learnt in my three years in Shri Shikshayatan College is patience and commitment. I feel extremely grateful for my teachers, who have been more like guardians, always blessing me and guiding me. I have always been encouraged by my teachers to become the best version of myself.
College is the first step into the real world. These are the years in which we transition from childhood to adulthood. What is most important is that we are surrounded by individuals who have a positive influence on us. Every single experience that I have had in college has contributed to my growth as a person. Shri Shikshayatan College shall always hold a very special place in my heart and I shall miss my college and college life dearly. I thank all my teachers and friends for making my college life so memorable.
Dripta Banerji
Batch 2020
Shri Shikshayatan College
